Saturday, September 05, 2015

Ode to a Chinese Taxi Driver

Today, like many days, I took a taxi. My driver was special in ways that only one who has lived in China awhile can appreciate. He had a mole on his cheek, out of which sprouted several long hairs, which he sported with pride. Stay hairs are auspicious to Chinese men (I know, Ming will never let me pluck one of his). I think my driver had food stuck in his teeth while also suffering from a head cold. He alternated between making odd sucking noises and hacking out the window. It made me realize that in my list of Things I'll Miss about China, I had left something out. I forgot to mention my adoration for China's taxis and their
drivers.

When asked if taxis are safe in China,
I answer “yes” without a second's hesitation. Of course, there
are times to be weary of them, especially if you know nothing of the
country or the language. There are certainly unscrupulous drivers out
there, who hatch schemes in hopes of earning a few extra renminbi. In
the event that you become a victim of such a plot, try not to panic.
It may seem though your driver is taking you out into the middle of
nowhere to leave you for dead, but he is, in all likelihood, just
taking the scenic route home in an attempt to run-up the meter.

In ten years, I have probably taken
hundreds of Chinese taxis, licensed and (occasionally) unlicensed,
both alone and with others. The one time I got taken advantage of, I
was with my husband. Once we called the driver out on his
shenanigans, he quickly became apologetic and lowered the fare.
Though at times on alert for being overcharged, I've never felt
threatened by a driver. In fact, taking a taxi—if you can catch one—is
usually a pleasant experience. The drivers are generally jovial and
curious, the perfect traits for those who want to practice their
Chinese. I've found that you can learn a lot from local cabbies,
depending on how you'd like to expand your Chinese vocabulary. I've
learned how to curse out every Zhou (Joe) from here to Shanghai
simply by spending a few rides stuck in Beijing's rush hour traffic.
My salute to you, Beijing cabbies, for teaching me words that would
make even your weird, perverted uncle blush.

In additional to being a learning
experience, taking a taxi is very economical, at least by western
standards. In Chengde, a typical ride costs between 6-10 RMB
(US$1-1.50). In the US, you'd probably have to tip a driver more than
that. You don't have to tip Chinese drivers, though sometimes you may
have to bribe them to pick you up. Would you expect anything less in
the Middle Kingdom? In Chengde, there is an ample fleet of cabs, so
passengers still hold the upper hand. The situation in Beijing,
however, is problematic for potential passengers. Due to lack of
taxis, tech-savvy Beijingers have turned to apps such as Didi Dache to help
them grab a cab. Use your smart phone to alert all taxis on the
network where you need a pick-up—sounds convenient right? No
more standing on the side of the road desperately waving your hand at
every approaching car, squinting to see if the vehicle is a taxi and
if so, if the stupid “unoccupied” light is on. Sure, you can
avoid that indignity. But there's there's a price to pay for that luxury. If you are in serious need of a ride, you better be willing
to add cash (call it a tip, but it's really a bribe) to the fare. You can start by adding 10 RMB ($1.50) and
try your luck. If it's rush hour, plan on adding 20 RMB or more. My
friend told me that many Beijing taxi drivers have conspired to avoid
5-star hotels unless the passenger offers 50 RMB on top of the fare.
Those sneaky little buggers. But even with a pick-up bribe, Beijing
taxis are affordable compared to the US. On a recent journey, I spent
56 RMB on a 30 minute ride (36 RMB fare + 20 RMB bribe) during Beijing
rush hour. That's less than US$10.

So yes, I will miss the built-in language tutor
plus the convenience that comes with taking a cab in China. But as my
husband reminded me, in the US I'll have my own car. I suppose that
will be pretty nice, too.

What type of transportation do you
typically use where you live? Do you rely on other types of
transportation when on vacation or while abroad?

9 comments:

Beijing cabbies are indeed very chatty! The ones in Suzhou and Shanghai hardly talk to me... Anyway, I don't take cabs so much now as in Shanghai the subway is very convenient and in Suzhou my bf has a car.

Last time I went to Beijing I noticed it was very hard to take a cab, the drivers were parked with their feet on the wheel and wouldn't even move for less than 100 RMB!!

@Marta, I think it's interesting that there is a very different "cab culture" from city to city in China. I don't use a smart phone (I know, I know) so it is near impossible for me to get a taxi in Beijing. Last time I had to receive help from the hotel worker where my friends were staying.

@Anonymous, Chinese cab drivers are also guilty of such violations, but that's pretty much every driver in the country. I'm definitely not comfortable driving here because of it!

Hi Marta, I do use wechat on my ipad. I top up my phone at a kiosk near my flat and use taobao on my computer and that's the only time I use alipay--I didn't even know you could scan and pay with it. I haven't seen that done here (we are behind the times here in Hebei). Taxis don't seem to use dididache in Chengde. I don't really mind the inconvenience as I like that my phone is never a distraction. When I return to the US, I'll probably get a smartphone though.

I usually use public transports here in Vienna as taxis are quite expensive. Sometimes I use one when I stay out late with friends, at it is impossible for me to get home fast in the middle of the night.

In Hong Kong I love that taxis are so cheap. We often take one home in the evening when I am tired after a long day. Sometimes it costs as much as public transport fee for us too, so of course we'll take a taxi.Sometimes the drivers are quite strange, one once cleaned his teeth with a tooth pic the whole drive... One once fell asleep when we stopped at red traffic lights for a moment.. I wasn't too happy about this driver though. D: